Wire Wrapping, Halloween Beads & Credit Cards

Wire Wrapping, Halloween Beads & Credit Cards

14th October 2017

See us today at The Big Bead Show, Sandown Park Racecourse, High Street, Esher, London KT10 9AJ. Details here.

This is the largest UK bead-only show with over 80 different exhibitors and millions of beads. Not to be missed, it’s amazing! Everything for beaders. MrBead has a huge stand #51, turn right after you walk in – look for our many banners!

We have many new beads just arrived in the UK – Say you’re a MrBead Newsletter Reader for free gifts! We’re at over 30 shows this year, all with a bigger display: all our 2017 beads fairs.

Key FREEPOST in checkout for free shipping on UK orders over £30 at MrBead.co.uk

Or outside UK customers key WIRE in the box at checkout for free shipping on orders over US$20 at MrBead.com

Wire Wrapping Pendants

Wire wrapping is a fun and easy way to make great pendants to use as originally-designed classy necklaces. All you need is some craft wire, a few pliers and something to wrap.

Almost anything can be wrapped, from river and beach rocks, sea glass, tumbled stone to more-expensive gemstones. With a little imagination you will be able to produce stunning jewellery.

At first it will take a while, but as you gain experience you should be able to wrap a stone in just a few minutes. Practice with a roll of cheap wire from your local hardware store. Then when you get the hang of it, buy 18-gauge craft wire online.

Most people start using wire cutters and needle-nose pliers – but flat-nose, nylon-jaw and round-nose pliers are better. Invest in a pair of good nylon jaw pliers, because they are especially designed for shaping craft wire and wire wrapping. The nylon jaws protect the surface of the wire, avoiding rebuffing the wire after forming.

Google ‘Wire Wrapping’ for ideas on design and style, but there are endless possibilities twisting and turning. The raw simplicity of the technique and the satisfaction of creating original designs make it so much fun.

Picture is of wire-wraps crafted by Colin Lansdell, Secretary & Editor of Norfolk Mineral & Lapidary Society. The club boasts a book and video library, organises field trips, workshops, and meets in Norwich on the first Tuesday of the month (except August) from 7.30pm – click the link for details. All their members have a deep passion for mineral rocks and fossils, and are very helpful to new members.

Have a Spooky Halloween With Beads

Skull Beads
Skull beads are ideal for Halloween, and students have been hanging them on their rucksacks all year. Skulls remind that we all have to die. Skulls show that life is not permanent and are a symbol that we are all flirting with death. See our many skull beads at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com.

Orange & Black BeadsWith Halloween just around the corner, we thought it fun to look at orange and black gemstone beads. You can’t celebrate Halloween without using the colours black and orange. They are also great to wear during autumn since orange matches the beautiful fall leaves, and black is a classy tone that will compliment every colour.The classic gemstones in these colours are orange carnelian and black onyx.

Carnelian gets the brilliant orange colour from iron oxide, and black onyx is usually made by treating chalcedony or agate with a sugar solution and then carbonizing it with heated sulfuric acid. Colour enhancements for these stones are so common that majority of carnelians and onyx sold today are enhanced agate. However, this makes the stones available in larger sizes and at more affordable prices. Other stones in these colours are fire opals, pearls, and orange aventurines for sunset tones – and obsidian or jet for black beads. It may also be fun to combine copper findings with onyx beads if you want a classy jewellery that you can wear year- round but would still have a hint of Halloween.

Must Take Credit Cards

If you sell jewellery, accepting payments by card is a must. It’s going to take decades for the Government’s aim to eliminate cash, but plastic already accounts to over half of all sales. Plus customers’ are likely to spend more if they can’t see the notes!

iZettle Card Reader
We’ve tried two Paypal card dongles and they were terrible. Many problems both with the device and with Paypal. By far, the iZettle card reader is best.

Just £35 to buy, simple to setup, and no monthly fees. It’s not necessary to link to a business bank account, and you receive your money in about 2-days. Minus their only fee of 3%, or less if you take over £2,000 in a month. The reader works very quickly and even takes contactless payments up to £30.

The card reader connects easily by Bluetooth to either your mobile phone or a tablet computer (but not a Windows laptop). You need to download their free app on you phone or tablet, and do need wifi for it to work. We use Nigel’s iPhone as a wifi dongle which is fine on the Three network almost everywhere in the country. However, most venues offer free wifi.